For more posts from Women Bringing Heaven about One Words and Starting The Year Off Right, go here: http://raisingstickyhands.com/category/starting-the-year-off-right/
ByAngie
One Word 2018 – New
ByAngie
Review & Giveaway: Higher Vision – For Your Kingdom Worship Album
I received this product in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are those of my own.
I love music… Especially worship music. I seem to not be able to do anything without it playing in the background. It just brings motivation and encouragement to everything I do. Knowing this, I jumped at the opportunity to review the new debut album from Higher Vision, For Your Kingdom.
Higher Vision Church is located here in Southern California and is quickly growing, averaging about 3,000 attendees each week from all walks of life. Their worship team sings some of their own original songs, and now has released an album.
With a sound that some would find similar to Hillsong Young and Free or Elevation Worship but is also unique to its own style, this album does not disappoint. Each track seems to have a reference to scripture and doctrinal truths, leaving no room for fluff. A perfect mix of upbeat songs that would be perfect on your workout playlist and slower ballads that will help usher you right into the Throne room during your personal prayer time… or, if you’re like me, great to listen to as you drive, do housework, or sew and craft.
Songs on the album include:
- [continuum]
- Higher
- Freedom of Your Love
- Worthy is the Lamb
- Trust in You
- He is Here
- We Cry Holy
- For Your Kingdom
- Hands Held High
- Hallelujah
- Near to the Broken
- Broken the Chains
For more information or to purchase this album, visit https://sc.lnk.to/HghrVsn
How about a chance to win a copy? You could win 1 Higher Vision For Your Kingdom CD from Higher Vision and Frontgate Media! Follow this link here to find out how to enter: Click HERE!
Have you listened to this album yet? Tell me what you thought about it in the comments!
ByAngie
5 Christmas Gifts For Boys That Will Connect Them To Jesus
When it comes to shopping for Christmas gifts for little boys, there usually isn’t a lot of guesswork involved. Most boys have no problem with being straightforward with what they want. Action figures, video games, legos… they know exactly what they want and will give you a detailed description and where to find it upon being asked what they want for Christmas. Yes, we must enjoy this time while it lasts because before we know it they are teenagers and NOT as easy to shop for…
But what about when it comes to a gift that will connect them to Jesus? A gift that will deepen their relationship with their Savior and the Father? Well, there it gets tricky… But I’m here to help! As a mom of 5, 3 of them boys, these are a few gifts that I have given my sons over the years that they actually enjoyed and didn’t get tossed aside.
(I admit that I am piggybacking on Emily’s posts, 5 Christmas Gifts For Girls That Will Connect Them To Jesus Part 1 and Part 2… Feel free to check them out by clicking on the links in the sentence above or on the photos below:)
5 Christmas Gifts For Boys That Will Connect Them To Jesus
1: Uplifting Music
Music weaves its way into everything in our home naturally. Rather than having my little guys listen to just anything, I try to make sure that 99% of what they listen to lifts up the King of Kings and draws them closer to Him. Sure, we still listen to fun silly songs and what not, but most of the time I try to turn on Christian music that the kids will enjoy and help them grow spiritually. Some favorite singers/bands amongst the boys in our home are The Newsboys, Family Force 5, TobyMac, Hillsong Young & Free, Hawk Nelson, Capital Kings… and quite a few others.
Our family actually has an Amazon Music subscription, making it quite a bit easier for us to access all the albums we love. If your family is constantly buying new albums, this may be a great option as a family gift for you!
Another gift idea that ties in here: Concert tickets! My 9-year-old still says 2 of the greatest events in his life were the 2 separate times he got to see The Newsboys in concert, with the time he got to meet them as his all-time favorite. This was actually a Birthday gift, but it was a gift, nonetheless. While it was a lot of fun for me, I did hang my head in embarrassment when his idea of complimenting Michael Tait was telling him that his arm muscles looked like “tiny bubbles”.
2: Bibles
To most kids, a standard Bible might seem a bit dull. Thankfully these days, there are many options when it comes to time for devotion and study. Even for kids! A few of the favorites in our home are The Adventure Bible, the Boys Bible (which includes Grossology… lol), and The Brick Bible.
3: Books
My kids LOVE to read! I know not all do, but maybe the right book could change that. Books by Becky Fischer and Answers In Genesis have been big hits in our house lately. This Christmas, some gifts will be Indescribable by Louis Giglio, The Ology: Ancient Truths, Ever New by Marty Machowski, The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, Hinds’ Feet On High Places by Hannah Hurnard, The Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan, and quite a few others.
4: Movies
Look for a film that either has a biblical message or tell an actual Bible story. You know your child best, so pick a theme that would strike a chord with them. When my kids were younger they adored VeggieTales and Larry Boy. Now that they are a bit older, they watch the Dreamworks movies, Joseph King of Dreams and Prince of Egypt, almost repeatedly. Not surprising given the love of Newsboys in our home, they also love to watch the God’s Not Dead series. War Room is another favorite!
5: Creativity and Play
Boys love to work with their hands, that’s no secret. Each child also has their own creative talent and/or interest. Find things that line up with those but can draw them closer to God. Have a child interested in playing an instrument? Teach them about King David and purchase some Christian sheet music. Does your boy love imaginative play? Try an Armor of God playset and explain the purpose of each piece to him. Almost all boys love Legos! Proverbial Homemaker has a few different Brick Challenge sets for sale (and a few free!) that are biblically themed. You can’t go wrong there!
Do you have any other ideas or gifts that you have given in the past that were a hit? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
ByAngie
8 Free Easter Printables
He is RISEN! Hallelujah! Jesus has risen from the dead!
Enjoy these free Easter printables as a reminder that we are no longer slaves, for we have been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb!
Download your printables by clicking here.
God bless!
ByAngie
Songs To Get Your Soul Amped Up For Easter – 2017 Edition
Easter is only a few days away!
Hear the bells ringing, they’re singing alright… and so am I!
Sorry, I just can’t help myself. Easter is my favorite day of the whole year. I can’t contain it! I have to SING about it!
A few years ago I attempted to do a music series for Easter and quickly realized that it is impossible. There are just too many songs out there! Songs about the gospel of Easter, songs about Holy Week leading up to it, songs about the blood and the healing and redemption that it brings, and glorious songs about the resurrection and grace. Think about it… the list never ends!
Since then I have compiled a list of songs that pertain to this special time of year. Some are songs we sing all year. Some are saved especially for this Holy Day.
But I can’t just keep it to myself!
So I’m going to share it here with all of you as well… but can you do me a favor? If you know of an Easter Song that has not made the list, can you let me know? Thank you!
(And yes, we added the Veggietales Bunny Song. We couldn’t contain ourselves…)
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel yet? Every week we add playlists of our favorite worship songs from the Women On The Warpath Facebook Battalion. Want to enlist in the Battalion? We’d love for you to join us!
ByAngie
Don’t Scratch! Scriptures To Cleanse Itching Ears (Part 1)
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
2 Timothy 4:1-5 KJV
Have you ever had a sore that just itched? You tried so hard not to scratch it, but eventually, you give in and do. Sometimes you are so careful not to scratch while awake, but do so while sleeping and wake up to a bigger sore? What happened? Did you get an infection? We all know what happens with an infection if untreated… Sepsis can poison the blood and/or the infection can reach the heart. If continually untreated, it can eventually lead to death. This can happen quickly, or very slowly, but an infection can not be ignored. However, if we don’t scratch, we can prevent it from spreading.
Right now, all across the world, infection is quickly spreading through the church due to itching ears being scratched.
It begins with a little tingle. A little bit of falsehood that doesn’t even seem like it may matter. From there it grows into a doctrine that contradicts scripture but is presented in a way that seems right because it has been garnished with twisted out of context scripture.
BEWARE! Do not let this infection spread into your heart and soul! Clean those itching ears and stop the spread of infection with cleansing scriptures from the Word of God!
The Word of God is the medicine that can cleanse and cure this infection. Here are some scriptures to apply to your itching ears:
So and so wrote a book, it’s like an extension of the Bible…
Revelation 22: 18-19
18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
First and foremost, everything that we allow ourselves to believe must align with the Word of God. If it is not in the Bible, then it is not scripture. God often gives authors knowledge, prophets a word to share, and whispers to the heart of the believer… However, if it does not align with scripture, it is not from God. Period. There are religions out there that believe they can add to the Bible, rewrite it, and call it irrelevant. While there are many scriptures that warn against this, this passage has a powerful punch and proves that there is no argument against God’s written Word. Also, with a warning like that, your temptation to even do so should be quenched.
Being a Christian is no longer politically correct, so we need to update some things…
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Many like to sugar coat the verses they have read and change them to fit what they need it to be. They will state that the Bible is outdated and no longer the case.
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
If He is the same yesterday, today, and forever… then His Word is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He does not change, nor does He lie. If the Father, Son, or even the Holy Spirit were to change something, which they don’t, it would change all throughout time. There is no wrapping your head around it because it just isn’t done. So no, the Bible and what we are expected to follow as Christians may not be politically correct, but it IS relevant and it does NOT change.
Jesus said you’re not supposed to judge anyone
Matthew 7:1-5
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
Yeeeeaaaahhh… That’s not what He’s saying here. People like to quote that first verse and completely throw out the rest of the Bible…
Matthew 7:15-20
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Oh, look, in the SAME chapter! We are to check the fruit!
James Chapter 3
I am unable to post all of that here, so please read that on YouVersion or in your own Bible.
Now, I will say this… it is NOT our job to condemn or shun a person. It is our job to LOVE a person. While at times we are called to correct another Christian (NOT A SINNER), we are to do so in love. If you’re unsure about what that means, then simply don’t attempt it until you are able to receive better teaching on the subject. (By the way, God will not call you to do this very often…) However, yes, we are to judge their fruit. The warning at the beginning of Matthew chapter 7 is kind of a warning to you that people are going to be watching you as well, so clean up your own house and keep it that way… Especially if you are in a place of leadership.
I can live however I want as long as I believe in God. I’m a good person, so I will go to Heaven. God would never cast anyone to hell.
Matthew 7:13-14
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Matthew 7:21-29
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Revelation 3:13-22
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Revelation 20:12-15
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
No. Nope. Not what the Bible says… and those are only a handful of many supporting scriptures.
Well, that is all I have for today. Use these scriptures generously and as often as needed to treat any symptoms that cause your soul discomfort. I will follow up with more as needed.
ByAngie
Scripture Prints – FREE PRINTABLES!
How about some adorable free prints with some of your favorite scriptures on them?
Be sure to check out the matching Free Printable Prayer List on our sister site, Women On The Warpath!
Download your free printables here!
We also have the Pray Without Ceasing print available on products in our Women Bringing Heaven store. Check them out!
ByAngie
KidMin Fundraising Idea: Bible Read A Thon (With Free Printables!)
Earlier this year, I was scrambling. We were hitting crunch time to do a lot of fundraising in a short amount of time to send the kids in our congregation to church camp. I had only become Children’s Pastor in November and I decided right away that camp needed a priority… but with a small church, how could we get all these kids there?
While for most churches, things like t shirts, calendars, wrapping paper, big dinners, and things of that nature are an obvious option, we did not have the luxury of a budget to go that route. I needed an idea that would be free or cheap to start up, with no overhead so that in the end all that was raised would go directly to the fund it was being raised for.
We were going to need something different than the usual. I had a few of the girls in our church over one day just to hang out and we got to talking.
- We didn’t want to do a car wash because that really isn’t cheap and in SoCal, we have water restrictions with the drought. Getting the church fined by the water department just wasn’t on my list of goals and probably wouldn’t be a good example of obedience on my part.
- We would do bake sales and things, but knew they would only go so far. The youth was already selling candy bars and sodas after services and during events. (A great fundraiser also!)
- We were already planning a CD of the youth and children singing that could be purchased by donation.
- The well known flamingo fundraiser seemed like a lot of fun, but didn’t seem like a good fit for our church.
What else could we do?
One of the girls mentioned a Jog A Thon that her school had just done. It had been successful and raised quite a bit of money for science camp. I replied, “Yeah, but I don’t think we could do much with that in this situation… Those are fun though. I always liked read a thons when I was a kid.” Then it was like the light bulb hit us both at the same time:
A Bible Read A Thon!
The Benefits:
- Kids dig deeper in the Word of God
- Money is raised
Um, I would list cons except, well, there aren’t any!
Now, I hear you saying: Why are we paying kids to do something that they should be doing for God on their own already?
I know you’re saying it because before I decided for sure myself to approach the leadership of my church with this idea I wrestled it all out.
Then I realized… We’re not actually PAYING the KIDS. Yeah, they benefit by what the money is raised towards, but no one is actually handing them money. In fact, we are teaching them to build a habit of reading the Bible every day. We are helping them plant those seeds in their hearts. The elders and families of the congregation are encouraging the kids and youth to build a stronger relationship with the Lord!
So how did Disciple Training Academy (our children’s ministry, more on that in another post) put together our Bible Read A Thon?
Two months later, I FINALLY decided to go through with our Bible Read A Thon. I drew up forms and handed them out. Shani put information in our church bulletins that the kids would be looking for sponsors to pledge towards an amount per scripture/chapter/book and that the amount could be capped out. (For younger children, we did per Bible story from a Bible story book. (And that could be read to them by a parent or older sibling.)
Now for the tricky part… There had to be proof that they actually did the reading they said they did… There were options…
- They could write a summary of what they read on the form or on a separate piece of paper, in an email, etc.
- They could send me a video or voice recording of themselves giving a summary on FB/Instagram/text… but not SnapChat. I had to have proof in case anyone asked.
- They could tell me in person and I could take a video or voice recording.
Did it pay off?
Spiritually speaking? Of course! Bibles were being read and hearts were growing! I believe it paid off more in what was read than what was raised. You can’t go wrong with Bible reading!
Financially? Considering how small of a group we had that participated, yes. Definitely. In fact, most of our money for camp was raised in a short amount of time from this fundraiser!
What would I have changed?
The timing. Because we were in a time crunch and had so many different projects going at one time, I was too distracted to realize I ran this fundraiser during finals. Believe me, my oldest son let me know plenty of times that my timing was terrible. The kids were still reading, but had it been done during a different time they could have read a lot more.
I also would have made better forms. At the time, I was trying out a different Office software than the usual good ol’ Microsoft. I didn’t realize all the formatting issues I would have when it came to print. Simpler would have been better as well. The forms I made were printed on card stock, and I am still very happy with that decision. Those forms went through a lot by the time the fundraiser was over.
Want a freebie?
Feel free to download this template for your own church’s Bible Read A Thon. You will still have to attach cover letters to both your pledge form and reading logs to explain them, but maybe this can cut out one step for you or give you some ideas to format your own… Speaking of which, if you have any ideas to add to this, please let me know!
Click HERE to DOWNLOAD your free printable Bible Read A Thon Pledge Form!
Click HERE to DOWNLOAD your free printable Bible Read A Thon Reading Log Form!
What are some of your favorite church fundraising ideas?
Tell me in the comments!
ByAngie
Will You Cry Out With Us On September 23rd?
Have you heard of Cry Out 16?
On September 23rd, women all over the United States will be uniting in prayer together in a simulcast prayer event.
If you are near Water Valley, KY, you can join Emily, Karen, Judye, and other ladies at Pentecostal Tabernacle. You can find more information on their website by clicking here.
If you are near San Bernardino, CA, you are invited to join Diania (I’m trying to convince her to join us back on RSHTH 😉 ), Shani, and myself (Angie) at Trinity Full Gospel Church. We have a Facebook event set up for this location and you can find more information by going to that page by clicking here.
It is time for us to CRY OUT! Join us in prayer for our nation, our families, and for REVIVAL!
PS: We’d love it if you joined us in our Intercessory Prayer Facebook group, Women on the Warpath!
ByAngie
It’s Our 5 Year Blogiversary! Time For A GIVEAWAY!!!
Happy birthday (well, last week) to us!
In August of 2011, Raising Sticky Hands To Heaven launched. I can’t believe it has already been 5 years! So much has changed, but still the same… I love seeing what God is doing!
We have a lot of big things coming up, and this year brought some exciting things as well. For example, have you joined Women On The Warpath? I think that is probably my favorite part of this blog ministry right now. We actually envisioned something very similar when we first began this blog. To see the dream God gave us at the beginning coming in to existence is exhilarating.
Another dream God gave me a few years ago for Raising Sticky Hands To Heaven was a free online ladies retreat. I’m praying that this can all fall in to place soon. Would you be interested? Let me know!
Alright, lets get to the giveaway… Time to celebrate!
1 blessed winner will receive the following…
Danielle has generously donated some coffee from her favorite coffee shop, Jitters, and a coffee mug. (She has sent me coffee from Jitters before. You WANT this. SO good!)
We are also including 5 gift cards to Amazon.com in the amount of $5 each! 1 $5 gift card for each of the 5 years of Raising Sticky Hands To Heaven! (Okay, I’ll probably mail it out as 1 $25 gift card, but that doesn’t sound as fun…)
